Custom Dragon Symbol Chinese & Japanese Calligraphy Wall Scroll

First, about Chinese/Japanese/Asian Dragons...

The dragon as known in Asia is not the wild and almost gruesome creature depicted in the stories of medieval Europe.
Instead, the Chinese dragon is full of wisdom, strength, and goodness. It is said the dragon can be found in the unclimbable mountains, or deep in the unfathomed sea. When active, he can be found in the storm clouds flying high above.
Of course, he is also known as the god of water, so the clouds and sea are home to him.

The dragon can grab lightning with his claws and the roar of a hurricane is really the voice of the dragon.

He is the chief of all scaled animals, and is described in ancient writings this way:
The head of a camel, horns of a deer, eyes of a rabbit, ears of a bull, neck of a snake, belly of a frog, scales of a koi fish (carp), claws of a hawk, and palms of a tiger.

These are the nine "resemblances" of a dragon - one of the reasons that 9 is seen as "the number of the dragon".

The official Romanized Chinese for dragon is "long" but in older English books it's sometimes spelled "lung". Both of these spellings don't tell you the true vowel sound which is really like the English word "oh".

More Dragon Info:

In Chinese culture, the dragon represents power and for many generations, only the emperor could dare to wear the symbol of a dragon on their clothing.

If you hang a dragon calligraphy scroll on your wall, it indicates that you are strong and powerful. A great gift for a corporate executive with a chip on his shoulder - lol.

This is probably the most popular Chinese character for tattoos these days.
You'll see it on the shoulders of pro-basketball players, and on the hips of pop
star divas. Of course, half of them have no idea what this symbol means,
and the other half incorrectly think it directly means "warrior" or "power".

Of course, long before it became a tattoo staple, the mythological dragon roamed the earth - at least in the legends and minds of Asian people.

The history of the dragon is hidden deep in myth and history. Drawings and symbols of this mythological animal can be traced back to prehistoric tribal peoples of China. Evidence of the dragon's importance in Chinese culture can be traced to dragon figures and other artifacts unearthed from the Yin Dynasty (3000 years ago).

Dragon

龍 is the character for dragon in Chinese, old Korean Hanja, and Japanese Kanji.

The dragon is the creature of myth and legend that dominates Chinese, Japanese, and even European folklore. In China, the dragon is the symbol of the Emperor, strength and power, and the Chinese dragon is known as the god of water.

From the Chinese Zodiac, if you were born in the year of the Dragon, you . . .

Have a strong body and spirit.Are full of energy.Have vast goals.Have a deep level of self-awareness.Will do whatever you can to "save face."

Dragon / Emperor Symbol

竜 is an alternate form of dragon. Still pronounced the same in Chinese, Japanese, and Korean.

This particular Kanji is often associated as an imperial symbol as well as representing the mythical Asian dragon. You may have seen it on the chest or flag of the emperor in old Japanese and Chinese movies.

Note: I would rate this as a non-universal alternate form. The other dragon character is by far more common, and universally understood.

Blue Dragon / Azure Dragon

qīng lóng

sei ryuu

青龍 / 靑龍 is a scholarly title for "Blue Dragon" or "Azure Dragon."

You'll find this title used in ancient Chinese literature and astronomy. This dragon has dominion over the eastern sky or eastern heavens. The Azure Dragon is also noted for representing the spring season. Also seen as an auspicious omen.

Emperor Huizong of the Song Dynasty canonized the five colored dragons as "kings." The Azure Dragon representing the most compassionate of kings.

In Japanese, this title is known with the same meaning but can also be a given name, Seiryuu.

Note, the first character can be written as OR . Same character, just two ways to write it.

Black Dragon

hēi lóng

koku ryuu

黑龍 is a generic title for "Black Dragon."

The first character is black color.
The second means dragon.

Black Dragon

xuān lóng

玄龍 is a sophisticated or scholarly way to say, "Black Dragon." 玄龍 is the title you'd expect in ancient Chinese literature.

The first character means black or mysterious.

The second character means dragon.

This black dragon represents a king dwelling in the depths of the mystic waters.

Black Dragon

mò lóng

墨龍 is a cool way to say "Black Dragon."

墨龍 is literally "Ink Dragon." The ink part is black Chinese ink, the deepest, darkest ink available for thousands of years.

Blue Dragon

cāng lóng

蒼龍 is one of a couple possible titles for, "blue dragon" (occasionally also translated as "green dragon").

The first character means, "deep blue" or "azure."

The last character is dragon.

Water Dragon / Coiled Dragon

pān lóng

han ryuu

蟠龍 is sometimes seen as a lower level of dragon, or a dragon that has not-yet-reached its potential.

蟠龍 is often defined as a "lake dragon" that has not ascended to heaven.
Another way to put that is a dragon coiled on the earth, which has not yet ascended to the sky.

Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon

臥虎藏龍 is the movie title of the Kung Fu epic that was very popular in the west a few years back.

臥虎藏龍 is actually a re-ordering of an ancient Chinese proverb that refers to undiscovered talents.

The movie was one of the most popular Chinese foreign films to ever debut in the USA but received a lukewarm reception in China.

Note: This can be pronounced in Korean but it's not a commonly used term.

Dragon Fist

lóng quán

This title literally means, "Dragon Fist."

The Spirit of the Dragon Horse

lóng mǎ jīng shén

龍馬精神 is an old proverb that is used to wish someone good health and success combined as a great compliment.

The meaning is "The vigor and spirit of the legendary dragon-horse." These four characters are often accompanied by four more which mean, "...and the power and prestige of the tiger." Here we are just offering the first part which is considered the short version.

By giving a wall scroll like this to someone, you were either wishing or telling them that they have an amazing quality. There is also a suggestion of good health - at least anyone with the vigor of a dragon horse, would seem to also be in good health.

Note: In Japanese, this would be read as the spirit of 坂本龍馬 (Sakamoto_Ryōma), a beloved rebel who help abolish the old Japanese feudal system. This can be confusing, so I am declaring this proverb to be Chinese only.

The Spirit of the Dragon Horse,the Power of a Tiger.

lóng mǎ jīng shén hǔ hǔ shēng wēi

This is an old proverb that is used to wish someone great health and success combined as a great compliment.

The meaning is "The vigor and spirit of the legendary dragon-horse, and the power and prestige of the tiger."

By giving a wall scroll like this to someone, you were either wishing or telling them that they have these qualities. There is also a suggestion of good health - at least anyone with the vigor of a dragon horse, would seem to also be in good health.

Dragon Lady

lóng nǚ

龍女 is literally "Dragon Lady" or "Dragon Woman."

Dragon and Phoenix

lóng fèng

ryuu hou

龍鳳 is the simplest way to express "Dragon and Phoenix" in Chinese and Japanese.

This title can be used to represent, "The emperor and empress," or a metaphor for an outstanding personage.

It should be noted that this is most often used as a given name "Ryuuhou" in Japanese. It may be read more as the name than by meaning in Japanese.

Dragon and Phoenix Brings Luck

lóng fèng chéng xiáng

龍鳳呈祥 is often seen at weddings and other celebrations in China.

It suggests that the dragon and phoenix will bring you auspicious tidings.

The first character is dragon.
The second is phoenix.
The third is presents or brings.
And the last means auspicious, propitious, or luck.

Throughout China, the dragon and phoenix are symbols of good fortune. You will see these auspicious figures as decorative symbols on everything from buildings, furniture, wedding costumes, sculptures in public parks, to caskets and items used in ceremonies.

Dragon Spirit

lóng hún

龍魂 means "Dragon Spirit" or "Dragon Ghost."

The Spirit of Dragon and Tiger

lóng hǔ jīng shén

ryu ko sei shin

龍虎精神 means the spirit of the dragon and tiger. It speaks to the vitality and vigor that is the nature of these two creatures.

Beyond "spirit," the second two characters can also mean mind, soul, or heart. Therefore, you can also say this means "Heart of the Dragon and Tiger," etc.

龍虎精神 is often titled as "Ryukoseishin" in many Japanese martial arts.

Dragon Warrior

lóng wǔ shì

ryuu bu shi

龍武士 is a generic title for "Dragon Warrior." Just as in English, it's a bit ambiguous. It can mean one who fights against dragons, or the title of a warrior himself (imagine a warrior with a dragon symbol on his chest).

Dragon Warrior

lóng zhàn shì

龍戰士 is another version of "Dragon Warrior." It's still a bit ambiguous. This one reads more like "Dragon Fighter" than "Dragon Warrior." Perhaps you can also translate this one as, "One who fights like a dragon."

Dragon Warrior

dòu lóng zhàn shì

This "Dragon Warrior" is specifically one who fights against dragons. This can also be read as "Dragon Fighter."

Earth Dragon

dì lóng

地龍 is the Earth Dragon, king of rivers and seas.

地龍 is sometimes used in Chinese as a nickname for earthworms.

Fire Dragon

huǒ lóng

hi ryuu

火龍 is how to write "Fire Dragon" in Chinese and Japanese Kanji.

This title is used more often in Chinese; a little lesser-known in Japanese.

Red Dragon

Red Dragon / Vermillion Dragon

朱龍 is a sophisticated or scholarly way to say, "Red Dragon." 朱龍 is the title you'd expect in ancient Chinese literature.

The first character means red, cinnabar, or vermillion.

The second character means dragon.

It is said that the Vermillion Dragon represents kings that bestow blessings on lakes or bodies of water. This makes more sense in an ancient Chinese context.

Water Dragon / Rain Dragon

jiāo

kou ryuu

This title for water dragon is the hornless or scaled dragon. 蛟龍 is the king of all aquatic animals with the ability to control rain and floods.

In Japanese, the rain dragon can represent hidden genius. This dragon's domain is the deep murky water, thus with hidden potential. This can also be the Japanese given name Kouryuu.

White Dragon

bái lóng

白龍 is a sophisticated or scholarly way to say, "White Dragon." 白龍 is the title you'd expect in ancient Chinese literature.

The first character means white, pure, or bright.

The second character means dragon.

The White Dragon represents a king who is virtuous and pure.

Yellow Dragon

huáng lóng

黃龍 is a sophisticated or scholarly way to say, "Yellow Dragon." 黃龍 is the title you'd expect in ancient Chinese literature.

The first character means yellow.

The second character means dragon.

The Yellow Dragon represents a king that favorably hears all petitions of his subjects.

Note: This title can be the name of Huanglong county in Yan'an, located in Shaanxi province of China.

The Way of the Dragon

měng lóng guò jiāng

猛龍過江 is the title of the 1972 movie, "The Way of the Dragon."

This actually means, "Fierce dragons crossing the river."
If you want a title that means, "way of the dragon," please see the more accurate 龍之道 3-character title.

The Way of the Dragon

lóng zhī dào

龍之道 is how the way of the dragon is written in Chinese.

龍之道 is not the same as the Chinese movie that was titled in English as "The Way of the Dragon". 龍之道 is rather, the literal meaning, of the dragon's way. The first character is dragon, the second is a possessive article, and the third character means way or path.

This in-stock artwork might be what you are looking for, and ships right away...

In some entries above you will see that characters have different versions above and below a line.In these cases, the characters above the line are Traditional Chinese, while the ones below are Simplified Chinese.

All of our calligraphy wall scrolls are handmade.

When the calligrapher finishes creating your artwork, it is taken to my art mounting workshop in Beijing where a wall scroll is made by hand from a combination of silk, rice paper, and wood.
After we create your wall scroll, it takes at least two weeks for air mail delivery from Beijing to you.

Allow a few weeks for delivery. Rush service speeds it up by a week or two for $10!

When you select your calligraphy, you'll be taken to another page where you can choose various custom options.

The wall scroll that Sandy is holding in this picture is a "large size"single-character wall scroll.We also offer custom wall scrolls in small, medium, and an even-larger jumbo size.

Professional calligraphers are getting to be hard to find these days.Instead of drawing characters by hand, the new generation in China merely type roman letters into their computer keyboards and pick the character that they want from a list that pops up.

There is some fear that true Chinese calligraphy may become a lost art in the coming years. Many art institutes in China are now promoting calligraphy programs in hopes of keeping this unique form
of art alive.

Even with the teachings of a top-ranked calligrapher in China, my calligraphy will never be good enough to sell. I will leave that to the experts.

The same calligrapher who gave me those lessons also
attracted a crowd of thousands and a TV crew as he created characters over
6-feet high. He happens to be ranked as one of the top 100 calligraphers
in all of China. He is also one of very few that would actually attempt
such a feat.

Chinese DragonsRead a dragon tale, learn about the traits associated with those born in the year of the Dragon.... The Chinese Dragon, or Lung , symbolizes power and...